As You Wish
by Miss Effie
Summary: James Potter was used to getting everything he wanted. He wants Lily Evans to return his feelings for her. Will she grant his wish?
1. I'd Rather Be Horsewhipped!

_A/N: I am pathetic. I always start a million stories and then never finish any of them. But...but...I love Lily/James! And I had to write this one! The plot bunny was racing wildly in my head. It was mad, I tell you, mad! Hope you'll forgive me! Oh, I have most of the second chappie written so, I'll post when I get five reviews! (I'm aimin' low...don't let me down!)_

_Disclaimer: ahem A poem..._

_Roses are red,_

_Violets are blue,_

_I'm not JKR,_

_And neither are you!_

_(but if you really are, I am super honored. I'm a huge fan!!!) _

_Now...on with the story!_

Chapter One

"I'd Rather Be Horsewhipped!"

Lily closed her eyes and breathed in the cool air. She was waiting on the doorstep for her mother and father to come out and take her to the train station, where she would be transported to a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The door finally opened as her flustered parents walked out onto the patio.

"Pictures!" Lily's mother cried. Lily sighed.

"No, Mum, please, not this year..."

"Just a few, there's a good dear," said Mrs. Evans as she pushed Lily in front of a tree. There were several clicks until she had caught every angle.

"Mum, if we don't hurry, we really are going to be late!" Lily's father had already put Lily's trunks in the car while the pictures were being taken. They rushed into the car.

"Where's Petunia?" asked Lily. Mr. and Mrs. Evans looked at each other.

"Well, darling, Petunia decided—"Mrs. Evans began before teetering off.

"She had some obligations—"continued Mr. Evans.

"She wasn't really feeling all that well—"

"She didn't want to come," Lily said. They just looked at each other.

"Sorry, dear," said Mrs. Evans.

"Oh, that's fine, we usually had to drag her along anyway..." said Lily, reassuringly. Petunia and Lily hadn't gotten along since Lily had received her Hogwarts letter. Lily was rather sad about this lost friendship; they had gotten along together pretty well as children. She tried to be gracious to Petunia, but Petunia really knew how to make Lily angry. Actually, with Lily's fierce temper, it didn't take much.

"Here we are!" said her father as they drove into the train station, "Now, follow me, Platform Nine and Three Quarters is right this way!" When they arrived at the wall between Platform Nine and Ten, her mother wiped away a tear.

"You look so beautiful, Lily," she said, hugging her closely.

"Have fun during your last year, kiddo," said her father, affectionately.

"Lily, you don't have your Head Girl badge on! Don't you want to show off your accomplishment? We are so proud!" Lily groaned as her mother searched through her school trunks for the badge.

"There..." her mother said as she fixed the badge on Lily's emerald green sweater.

"Mum, I really have to go!" Lily exclaimed, looking at her watch. "I want to be there early to set the example!"

"All right...owl us!" said her mother, waving her handkerchief.

"We love you," said her father. Lily gave him one last kiss on the cheek and ran towards the wall.

"Lily, over here!" cried a familiar voice. Lily looked around and saw her dear friend, Gwen. She walked briskly over to her and hugged her.

"I missed you!" she said.

"I missed you too," replied Gwen. Gwen had black hair that was always in tight, curly ringlets that framed her angular face. Her lips were full, and her eyes had a soulful look, but they would occasionally twinkle and glow with her playful nature. Gwen was a bookworm, like Lily, and they had met in the library in their first year. "Look who's headed this way," said Gwen, nodding her head in the direction of four boys. Lily turned and saw them. She ran towards a sandy-haired, blue-eyed boy.

"Remus!" she cried, hugging him.

"Hi, Lily," said Remus, kissing her on the cheek. Remus and Lily had dated for about two months in their second year, but they had mutually decided to end the romantic relationship. Since then, they had become good friends.

"How was your summer? You stopped owling me towards the end!"

"Sorry about that, I was over at James' house for awhile." Lily looked at James. He was wearing a tight, black shirt with lightly colored designer jeans that flared out slightly at the ends to reveal black Cons that looked as if he hadn't taken them off all summer. His jet black hair, of course, was messy and his glasses were slightly askew on his face. Lily couldn't stand him. He was arrogant, rude, egotistical and a playboy. Unfortunately, ever since she finished it with Remus, he had decided that his mission in life was to annoy her. He asked her out everyday until finally Lily had hexed him (earning her her first detention). He had stopped doing that, but he still managed to make her angry every time they conversed.

"Where's your fan-club, James?" she asked, coldly. James just grinned cockily.

"Oh, I told them to wait for me on the train," he replied. Standing next to him was one Sirius Black. He was also arrogant and James was nothing compared to him on the woman front. He literally had a new girl everyday. This time he had a blonde girl that Lily recognized from Hufflepuff permanently attached to his arm.

"Oh, Sirius, I see you can't part with your fan-club for more than a minute," said Lily.

"Not when they are this beautiful!" The girl on his arm giggled and blushed. Lily just rolled her eyes and looked back at Remus. Suddenly, Remus jumped.

"Lily, you got Head Girl?" he exclaimed, looking at her badge.

"Yep!" Lily searched his chest for a gold badge. "Where is yours, Remus?"

"He didn't get Head Boy," said James. She glanced at him.

"Who did, then?" she asked.

"Me," replied James, grinning.

"Oh, nice one, James, but try it on someone stupider next time." Sirius winced.

"Ouch, ol' boy, that was harsh," Sirius said, patting James on the back.

"Lily," said Remus, touching Lily's arm, "James really did get Head Boy." She looked at Remus.

"How in the world?!" she exclaimed. James was grinning, but Lily could see that he looked a little hurt.

"Hey, Lily, we better board the train, it's going to take off soon," said Gwen, finally stepping into the conversation. She grabbed Lily's arm and pulled her towards the train. "Are you mad? He may be a jerk, but he has feelings too."

"No he doesn't," replied Lily. Gwen just rolled her eyes. They got their trunks on the train and found an empty compartment. Just as they were sitting down, James burst in.

"Lily, my love, I was wondering if I could escort you to the prefects' meeting?"

"Oh, James," said Lily, romantically. James' eyebrows shot up. "I'd rather be horsewhipped!" James' eyebrows returned to their regular position on his face.

"Ah, my darling, you are missing out!" cried James. He turned around and walked out. Lily mumbled something about arrogance.

"So, I guess you had better be going to that meeting," said Gwen.

"Yep," said Lily. "I'll come back as soon as it's finished, I promise."

"All right," replied Gwen. She pulled out a thick book from her bag, and Lily knew that she wouldn't be bored. Gwen settled down into her seat and opened the book. Lily grinned and walked out of the compartment. Heading towards the back of the train, she finally found a congregation of students. James was in the middle, recounting a game of Quidditch he had played to them.

"...and then I saw the Snitch, flitting right above the ground. I decided I was going to take a chance. So, I shove my broom down and start to dive until—"

"That's enough of that, James, let's get this meeting started." There was a collective sigh from the group. James grinned.

"Yes, Miss Lily, ma'am," he said, piously.

"That's better," said Lily, sternly. James could see a slight smile on her face. "Now, prefects..." and the meeting begun. James basically let Lily talk, realizing that this was her domain. Besides, it gave him a great chance just to stare at her. She was wearing a tight, emerald green sweater and dark jeans that showed off her curves. She was very petite, but there was something about the way that she carried herself that gave off an air of authority. Her fiery red hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but several hairs had slipped out and were now framing her face. Lily noticed that James was staring intently at her, and she stammered.

"...p-patrolling is a...a big responsibility and..." James could tell she was struggling. "Potter, will you stop staring at me?" she said. Aloud. Realizing what she had said, she blushed almost as red as her hair.

"Why?" asked James. The prefects were leaning in excitedly.

"Because...because you're making me uncomfortable, that's why!" she replied.

"I make you...uncomfortable?"

"Yes! Now stop!"

"What if I won't?" James grinned and tipped his head to the side.

"Then...then...why...I'll...just stop, would you?" asked Lily, trying to control her anger in front of the students.

"Your wish is my command, red-headed princess," he replied. Lily just glared at him and continued what she was saying. After fifteen more minutes, Lily was starting to notice the glazed looks on the students' eyes.

"Well, I think that about covers it. Meeting adjourned." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, including Lily. It had been her first task as Head Girl, and she felt that she had done her duty.

"So," said James, sidling up to her, "now that the meeting is finished, what do you say we both...go somewhere?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Yes, Potter, we will." James looked amazed. "You will go to your compartment and think up new pranks with your friends, and I will go to my compartment, where I will brainstorm new ways to stop them." James smiled.

"As you wish," he said, and he sauntered off. Lily breathed a sigh of relief. She went to her compartment and flopped down on the seat. Gwen didn't look up from her book.

"I did it!" said Lily.

"Mmm," replied Gwen, still reading.

"That Potter is an idiot! He has some nerve! He made me falter in front of all those students...I don't want to even think about the rumors that will be circulating."

"Mmm."

"He continues to hit on me, and I don't know why! He must really enjoying aggravating me. But why me?"

"Mmm."

"Gwen, you're not listening to me!"

"Mmm."

"GWEN!!!" Lily yelled. Gwen jumped.

"Oh, hey, Lily, when did you come in?"

"Forever ago!" replied Lily. "I've been telling you my problems!"

"Oh...of course, I was listening. How did your meeting go?" asked Gwen, flustered.

"Ugh! I'm going to go find Remus!" she opened the compartment doors and was halfway down the hall before she realized that Remus was going to be with James and Sirius. Planning pranks. She was just about to turn back when a raven-haired boy came out from the compartment just ahead of her.

"Looking for me?" he asked.

"In your dreams, Potter," she replied. "I was just about to go back to my compartment."

"And what were you doing wandering around the halls?"

"Well, Gwen was ignoring me, and so I was going to find Remus, and then I realized he was going to be with you, and so I was just about to turn back." Sirius stepped out into the hall and Peter followed.

"What do we have here?" he asked, brushing his black hair out of his eyes.

"Me. Leaving," replied Lily. She turned around and began walking.

"Lily?" asked Remus. She turned back around to face him. "Won't you come in?" he indicated the compartment. By the look on his and James' faces, Lily could tell James had put him up to this.

"Fine. For you," she replied, walking back. Seating herself next to Remus, she stared straight ahead. Suddenly, the corners of her mouth lifted in a slight smile. James, who was watching her intently, noticed and questioned her. "Oh, I was just thinking about all those girls out there who would be dying to be in this compartment...I am one of the only ones who despise it, and of course, I'm here!"

"So feel privileged," said Sirius. James was still looking at Lily. Remus was watching James and smiling. Peter was just staring out the window.

"Why do you despise it, Lily?" asked James, seriously. Lily looked uncomfortable. "Are you jealous of us?" Remus just shook his head. Now he'd done it.

"Jealous? Of you lot? Potter, you should be careful. One day that big head of yours is going to pop. Frankly, I hope it's me with the pin," and with that she stomped out of the room.

"Well, James," said Sirius, putting his arm around James' shoulder. "You do a wonderful job of making her angry..." James shrugged his arm off. Remus sighed.

"James, when are you ever going to learn?" he asked.

"Learn what?"

"Lily doesn't want some popular jerk. She wants someone who is sensitive, caring and decent. If you really want her to like you, you're going to have to earn her respect."

"How???" asked James, eagerly.

"That, my friend, you're going to have to figure out by yourself."

_A/N: Ooo, I have a wicked awesome idea! Let's have a Review Party! Just click on that little button right down there, and it'll lead you right into the party...I'll be there! With chips! And candy! _


	2. Don't Give Up: Advice From A Hat

_A/N: Awww, thank you all. I actually got some different reviewers! Hey, if you liked this story, go read my other ones! [insert cheesy grin and a thumbs-up] I'll answer the reviews at the end of the story. For now...enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: You are smart people...I think you get it by now. _

Chapter Two

"Don't Give Up: Advice From a Hat"

Lily gasped as she entered the Great Hall for the first time that year. The beauty of the night sky (even though it wasn't real) never ceased to amaze her. There were hundreds of candles poised in the air above the different tables.

"Come on, let's go find a seat," said Gwen, tugging on Lily's arm. They began to walk towards the Gryffindor table until someone tapped Lily's shoulder. She turned around and saw...

"Potter," she said, coldly.

"Evans, Professor McGonagall wants to see us now...head student stuff," he said quickly.

"Okay," she replied. "Go find me a seat!" she told Gwen. "I'll be back in a bit." Gwen nodded and continued to walk towards the Gryffindor table. Lily walked with James.

"Look, Lils, about the train..." he said.

"Let's just forget about it, okay?" she said, forcing a smile. If she was going to have to work with him all year, they would have to get along to some extent. James looked taken aback.

"Oh, right," he replied. They walked out of the Great Hall in silence.

"Ah, there you are!" said Professor McGonagall once she had seen them. She was holding the Sorting Hat. "I'll just need a quick word with you about your duties as Head Boy and Girl before the sorting." She ran through their obligations and responsibilities. "Is everything clear?" she asked, once she was finished.

"Crystal," James assured her. He looked at Lily and she nodded in affirmation.

"Professor?" said a voice hesitantly.

"First year," she explained to them. "A little nervous. Mr. Potter, will you hold the hat for me? Just for a minute while Miss Evans and I sort this out," she said, handing him the hat. Professor McGonagall and Lily walked off in the direction of the voice. James felt rather awkward holding the hat. Suddenly, it spoke.

"You like her, don't you?" asked the hat. James jumped.

"Professor McGonagall?" he asked, horrified.

"No, no, no, the other one...Miss Evans."

"N-no," he stammered.

"You don't have to lie to me, Mr. Potter."

"Okay, well, yes, then. How could you tell?" asked James, holding the hat up to eye level.

"I've been around for quite some time," replied the hat. James nodded.

"She doesn't like me back, y'know. Thinks I'm arrogant. I'm trying really hard," he said.

_Why am I confiding in a hat? _he asked himself. _Oh well. Not like it matters. _

"Well, don't give up," said the hat.

"O-okay," replied James, bemused. "Thanks..."

"My pleasure," it replied. Lily and Professor McGonagall returned a few minutes later with a young girl.

"We can go in now," said Professor McGonagall. Lily walked sat in the seat Gwen had saved for her, and James sat next to Sirius.

"We got a good view," said Sirius to James, nodding his head towards Lily. James grinned.

"Thanks," he whispered back. The Sorting began but James didn't catch one word of it. He watched Lily the entire time. Something about her manner captivated him. Suddenly he realized that the tables had been filled with food. He shook his head and turned his attention back to his table. Remus and Sirius were staring at James, and Peter was watching his wristwatch.

"Two minutes," Peter squeaked.

"Dammit, Remus, you win," said Sirius, rummaging around in his robes. "Here, one galleon." Remus took the coin from Sirius' hand. "This is a monumental day...James ignored food for a girl. Just my luck."

"What's going on?" asked James.

"Well, you see, lover boy, we made a little bet on how long it would take you to realize that the food was on the table," Sirius informed him. "You must really like her." James just blushed and grabbed a drumstick.

"Moony, 'ow 'id 'oo ge' 'er?" Remus grimaced.

"Close your mouth, chew your food, and swallow it completely. Then, start over." James followed his directions.

"Moony, how did you get her?" he repeated slowly and articulately.

"You sound like she's a fish to be caught!" Remus said.

"Well, isn't she?" asked Sirius, grinning at Remus' growing annoyance.

"No! James, that is half the reason why she doesn't like you! I told you before; you're going to have to figure it out by yourself."

"So much for friends," James grumbled.

"I'll help you, Jamsie!" said Sirius, slapping James on the back. James coughed and spluttered on his chicken, then looked up to see Lily watching him. She turned away quickly, blushing.

"Just great..." he said to himself. "She saw me choke on some chicken. Perfect."

"What's that, Prongs?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing..." replied James, half-heartedly. He went back to eating his meal.

_At least she was looking at me, _he thought to himself. _That's something. _

"Well?" asked Sirius.

"Well what?" replied James.

"D'you want me to help you?" From the look on Remus' face, James could tell that Sirius would not be the best role model.

"No, that's all right. I think I can handle it," James lied. Sirius looked at him skeptically.

"Well, I'm glad to see you are confident in yourself, m'boy. But I think you're going to need all the help you can get." Now it was Remus' turn to look skeptical.

"Not your sort of help, Padfoot," he said. "You are just as bad as James in Lily's eyes." James sighed.

"Oh, I see," said Sirius. "I would give James bad advice. That's probably true...I'm used to fast, ditzy, sexy girls, not intellectual, moral girls like Lily."

"An intellectual, moral, _beautiful _girl," said James, glancing at Lily. Remus, Peter and Sirius just rolled their eyes.

"Talking about fast, ditzy and sexy girls..." said Sirius as Bella from Hufflepuff walked towards him. She was the blonde girl who had been attached to his arm before boarding the train.

"Hi Sirius," she said in a breathy voice. She put her arm around him and squeezed in next to him on the bench.

"Hi doll," he replied, looking a little crowded. She started picking food off his plate and forcing it in between his lips. Remus and James were trying hard to conceal their laughter. Peter was just gazing adoringly at Bella.

"Bella," said James, helping Sirius out, "we are kind of talking about some personal stuff here so, if you could just...bugger off, that'd be great." James smiled sweetly. Bella looked hurt.

"Siri-poo, how can you let him talk to me like that?" she whined. Remus' shoulders started shaking and James started coughing to disguise his laughter.

"Oh, well, James might have put it bluntly, but see, he's been having some girl problems and I was helping him out..." Sirius said. James immediately stopped coughing and glared at Sirius.

"Well, I could help," simpered Bella.

"No, James doesn't really want anyone else to know." Bella frowned.

"All right, I'll go..." she said, reluctantly. She untangled herself from Sirius and walked away slowly, swinging her hips animatedly.

"She's got to go," James and Remus said simultaneously.

"Why?" asked Peter. James, Remus and Sirius just ignored him.

"I know..." said Sirius. "She is a great kisser though..." James raised his eyebrows. "While we are on that subject...Moony, was Lily a good kisser?" asked Sirius, saucily. James turned sharply to look Remus in the eye.

"Well...yes, I'd say so," replied Remus awkwardly. "Not that I had had much experience in that sort of thing before I met her." James sighed.

"I'll probably never find out for myself, though," said James, running his hand through his hair.

"Ah, mate! Your optimism is kind of scaring me! Tone it down a little," replied Sirius. James smiled slightly. He turned his attention back to the food in front of him. After finishing, James walked out of the Great Hall. The words of the Sorting Hat came back to him.

_Don't give up..._

_A/N: Sorry...not much happened in that chapter. More Lily and James interaction next time! _

_Chelsea: Thank you a lot! I really appreciate that. I'm glad you don't think my story is fake. Keep reviewing, please!_

_Loraliant Angelisa Snape: Wow...long name! How did you think up that one? Any story behind it? Please, share! sits back and waits Oh, and, you don't have to wait anymore. Hope you liked my update. _

_Moonw: The Princess Bride, eh? Awesome! That movie kicks ass! That is quite a compliment. Please, keep reviewing!_

_JerryGirl: Why hello old friend. snatches candy back Stop hogging it, let the other reviewers have some! Jeez..._

_The Flying Moose: Eh, shut up. :-D Nah, I love ya. Hope this update meets with your approval. bows deeply_

_twistedtwin: Well, I did! (ish) (update soon, I mean). Hope I delivered quickly enough for you!!!_

_So, hey, there you go. Thanks again. Now...go ahead. Review. Erm, I mean, don't review. I hate it when people review. (Totally using reverse psychology there...hope it works!!!)_


	3. Worchester Sauce

_A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to post this chappie, but I was struggling with writer's block. Also, school started (blech) and so it's taken me awhile to get back on schedule. Oh, and I'd like to apologize for it's length. Hopefully the next update will be longer. We'll see. But, considering only THREE PEOPLE reviewed my last chappie, I'm sure NO ONE MINDS!!! So, if you are reading this, please, please, please drop a review. Each one is appreciated. _

_This chappie is dedicated to Dan. Your revisions on this chapter were perfect, really. I'm glad you were so picky, because I think it's helped this chappie be the best that it can be! I really appreciate it. A lot. And I'll be sending you my next chapter. (Once I write it...) _

_Disclaimer: ..._

Chapter Three

"Worchester Sauce"

"James!" James was surprised to hear Lily saying his first name. Actually, he was surprised to hear Lily talking to him at all.

"What?" he asked, abruptly halting. Remus, Sirius and Peter all stopped with him.

"What do you think you're doing? We're supposed to help the Prefects round up all the Gryffindor students!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, right..." he replied, disappointed. He had hoped she was going to ask him something that didn't have to do with his Head Boy duties. "See you lot in the Gryffindor common room," he said to the Marauders. They nodded and continued walking. James followed Lily, who was determinedly walking two steps in front of him all the way back to the Great Hall.

"Gryffindors! This way!" she said, once they had reached the swarming mass of students. "Please, follow your Prefects!" James just watched Lily—he admired her aggression. Everyone started moving out of the hall, and James began to move with them. "Wait!" said Lily, grabbing his wrist and pulling him back. James glanced at her quickly. She dropped his wrist immediately and a slight blush crept onto her cheeks. "We're going to take the end," she added, hastily. "Make sure there are no stragglers." James just nodded, still recalling the feel of her smooth hand on his bare skin. Once everyone had passed them, they began walking. James felt he had to re-establish his cool.

"So, Lily, are you looking forward to having the Head rooms to ourselves?" He winked.

"Yes," she replied. He looked at her, shocked. "I am looking forward to being in my bedroom, by myself, with a locked door and thick wall between us."

"Oh, I know one or two spells that could change that..." he said. They walked in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes.

"I suppose you'll be staying in the Gryffindor common room with your friends," Lily said, suddenly.

"Er...probably...why do you ask?"

"Oh, I'm just trying to time this so that we don't have to run into each other at any point tonight." James grinned.

"How thoughtful of you," he replied. Of course, now that she was planning on being in the Head room, he wasn't going to stay in the Gryffindor common room. He'd give her a little surprise...

They finally reached the common room. Lily pushed her way to the front to give the Fat Lady the password.

"Picked herring!" she said in a clear voice.

"If you say so," said the Fat Lady as she swung open. Everyone followed Lily in. Everyone, at least, except James. He began his walk towards the Head rooms. It didn't take him long to find it with the helpful Marauder's Map.

"Password, oh worthy knight!" yelled Sir Cadogen, the painting guarding the Head rooms.

"You?" James grumbled.

"Aye! Dumbledore has given me the responsibility of guarding these rooms, and I rose to the challenge! None will get past me that don't have the password!" he exclaimed, flashing his sword. James thought for a minute.

"Come on, Sir Cadogen, you know I'm Head Boy, can I just get in?" he pleaded. He couldn't remember the password! Having Lily around when Professor McGonagall was explaining important things was really distracting.

"How do I know it's not a clever disguise? Hmm? Now, the password, young man, or else you will not pass!" James searched his brain.

"Wait, it's some sort of sauce! Tomato sauce? Cream sauce? Mushroom sauce?"

"...Worchester sauce?" added Sir Cadogen, helpfully.

"That's right! Worchester sauce!"

"Y-you tricked me!" exclaimed Sir Cadogen, realizing what he had done.

"But I got the password, so you have to let me in!" said James, gleefully. Sir Cadogen glared at him.

"I will be avenged!" he said, as the portrait swung open. James laughed, and stepped through the tunnel. When he saw the Head rooms, he grinned with pleasure. There was one main room with a fireplace, several very comfortable looking couches, bookcases and two desks. Once he walked over the threshold, the fire lit up, bathing the room in a golden glow. There were two doors on opposite sides of the rooms, and he supposed these lead to their separate rooms. Looking closer, he noticed bronze plaques on each of them, one reading "James Potter" and the other door's "Lily Evans." He immediately strode up to Lily's door and turned the knob. It wouldn't turn. He shook it.

"Nice try, Potter," said a voice behind him. He jumped and turned around. It was Lily!

"Evans! How kind of you to join me," he replied, once he had regained his composure.

"I wasn't doing you a kindness. Now, would you please step away from my door?" she asked, placing one hand on her hip.

"And why would I do that?" he asked.

"Because, I asked politely, and if you continue to refuse, I will not hesitate to hex you."

"I don't believe you," replied James. "You'd get into too much trouble."

"There is no one here, Potter."

"That, Miss Evans, sounds like an invitation," he said, sauntering up to her. She took two steps back and reached for her wand.

"I'm not joking, Potter!" she said, aiming it at him. James stopped walking towards her, beginning to get a little nervous. Luckily for him, Gwen walked into the room.

"Lily!" Gwen exclaimed, running to her friend. "Put your wand down!" Lily complied, reluctantly.

"Thank you," said James, looking Gwen in the eye.

"You two! Honestly!" Gwen said.

"Well, he was about to..." started Lily. James grinned.

"What was I about to do, Lily?" he asked, cheekily.

"About to...about to...ugh!" she said, stomping over to the couches. She dropped down on one and stared determinedly at the fire.

"Is she always like this?" asked James.

"No, only when she's around you," Gwen replied, sighing.

"Really?!" exclaimed James, gleefully. Gwen rolled her eyes.

"I don't really think that's a compliment, James."

"Would you two stop whispering about me behind my back?!" exclaimed Lily.

"You had better leave," said Gwen. "She can get really angry."

"No!" replied James, determinedly. Gwen just looked at him, her eyes twinkling in amusement. She stood like that for a few seconds, thinking.

"She's going to hate me for this, but...I think I'll leave the two of you alone," Gwen said, mischievously. James grinned.

"I owe you one, Gwen," he said. Gwen smiled, walked towards the portrait hole and exited. James glanced at Lily. Her wand was lying on the cushion beside her.

"_Accio Lily's wand_!" James chanted, flicking his wand in her direction. It came flying to him, and he caught it. "There," he said, pocketing it. "Now I can approach you safely." He walked towards the couch. Lily didn't move. He sat down next to her. She continued to stare resolutely into the fire.

"Aww, come on, Lils, am I really that bad?" She clenched her fist, but continued to stay silent. "Lils?" he pleaded.

"Don't call me Lils!" she yelled, not able to bear it any longer. "Only my friends are allowed to call me that, and you, Potter, do not fit into that category! And yes, you really are that bad! You pester and tease me; you call me pet names and treat me patronizingly in front of all your little friends! I'm tired of it, Potter, tired of it! What type of game are you playing, anyway?!" James just stared at her. She took his silence as an invitation to go on. "You may be handsome and popular, Potter, but that gives you no reason to be bigheaded and arrogant! I'm tired of the way you ruffle your hair, I'm tired of you showing off your Quidditch skills with that Snitch, I'm tired of your stupid remarks, I'm tired of your fan club, and I'm tired of you following me around!!! Most of all, I'm just tired of YOU!" she finished, breathing heavily. Seeing that he wasn't going to respond, she got up off the couch and marched into her room, slamming the door behind her. James just sat, soaking in everything she had just related to him. Finally, he stirred from the couch.

"She thinks I'm handsome..." he whispered aloud as he walked towards his room.

_A/N Part Two: Did anyone catch the semi-sly pOtC reference in this chappie? Actually, it's rather obvious but...anyway. Write down what you think it is in your review! 10 points to Gryffindor if you get it! _

_The Flying Moose: I hope that this one also meets your standards. Here, have a few cookies. ::shoves a cookie jar in your face:: _

_JerryGirl: Thank you for your review, dahling. Now, because you stole the candy, you don't get any cookies. Remember, stealing does not pay off!!! MAY THAT BE A LESSON TO YOU ALL!!!_

_tennisaddict107: Thank you so much for your kind review. And for everything else. _

_Now...do whatcha gotta do! REVIEW! (Yes, yes, I am the next Dr. Seuss, I know it...)_


	4. Yellow Isn't Really Your Color

_A/N: Without Dan, this chapter would suck. That's all I really have to say. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. Dan owns all the good stuff about it. I guess...well, I own the computer that it was typed on!!! Wewt!_

_JerryGirl: You lose ten points for cheating, you cheating cheater. BUT! You earn 1000000 points for reviewing. So, I'd say Gryffindor wins the House Cup this year. _

_Tinydancer15: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you and finally, thank you. You are my new favorite person-of-the-day! Please, keep reviewing. I appreciate it so much._

_The Flying Moose: Hey, Dan is a good beta. Maybe I wanted it to be Picked Herring. Maybe it's called NOT PLAGURISING! (Shut up...)_

_Tennisaddict107: Meh, you suck. Stupid...good at everything person. Nah, thank you for reviewing though. I owe you tons. _

_Oh, and wait, one more thing. I know I spelled Snivilious wrong in this chapter. What's the right spelling? I'm sorry if anyone is bugged by it. _

Chapter Four

"Yellow Isn't Really Your Color"

Lily yawned and stretched, untangling herself from her covers. She jumped out of bed and walked towards the window, throwing the curtains open. Morning light poured into the room, accentuating the sharp angles of the walls. Lily smiled and twirled. She loved the mornings. Heading toward her dresser, she opened the drawer to find her neatly folded robes, and quickly grabbed one. She hummed happily while getting dressed; already she could tell this was going to be a perfect day. Lily waltzed into the bathroom, still humming the same tune, and walked out several minutes later, her hair up in a bun. Then, glancing at the mirror above her dresser, she grinned. Feeling adventurous, she pulled on her hair tie, allowing the shimmering locks to fall over her shoulders. Then she opened the door leading out of the room and stepped into the threshold, only to come face to face with James.

"What are you doing?!" she yelped, jumping a few feet backwards.

"I was just admiring your vocal skills," he replied, grinning saucily. She glared at him.

_And I thought today was going to be a good day... _she thought, regretfully.

"So, still in a strop from last night?" inquired James, insensitively.

"I wasn't 'in a strop'!" replied Lily, brushing past him to exit the room.

"Hey Lily?" James asked. Suprisingly, Lily paused in front of the portrait hole.

"What?"

"D'you...d'you really think I'm...well...handsome?" Noting how her shoulders tensed up, James knew he shouldn't have asked.

"I was only quoting others," she replied, rather calmly.

"Oh, right," he replied. "Well, see you at breakfast." She left quickly. James continued to stand and study the carpet for a few minutes longer before following Lily.

"Oy, James!" yelled Sirius when James entered the Great Hall. James noticed, happily, that Lily looked up when she heard his name. It didn't take her long, though, to focus her attention back on her breakfast plate. "Where were you last night?" asked Sirius once James had sat down. "The party just wasn't the same without you!"

"I noticed Lily was gone too," observed Lupin. James blushed.

"What happened?!" asked Sirius, leaning in with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Basically, she just yelled at me. Then went into her room." From the look in his friend's eyes, he knew he wasn't going to get off with just the basics. So, he related the whole story to them, with Sirius interjecting astonished comments throughout and Peter echoing him. Lupin remained silent

"And then this morning she huffed out after telling me she didn't really think I was handsome!" finished James with a flourish. Sirius looked amazed, but Remus had a somewhat smug look on his face.

"What are you smirking about, Moony?" asked James.

"I told you so!" he said in a sing-song voice. James threw a spoonful of scrambled eggs in Lupin's direction. He ducked, his animal instincts kicking in, and the scrambled eggs hit the back of a certain greasy haired boy at the next table. The boy turned around slowly, facing them.

"You know, Snivilious," said James, once he realized who it was, "yellow isn't really your color. It makes your skin seem pale."

"Not that you aren't pale normally," added Sirius, "but we just don't want to accentuate your bad features."

"Or any feature, for that matter." Lupin sent James a warning look, but James just smiled sweetly at him.

"Shut it, Potter," spat Snape.

"Or what?" replied James. "You'll sic your _friends _on me?" He emphasized the word 'friends' and glanced around at the empty seats surrounding Snape. Snape winced but quickly recovered.

"I have allies, Potter."

"Who, like Voldemort?" All the people around James who had been listening to the conversation gasped. Even James knew he had taken it one step too far.

"James—" began Remus, but a harsh voice cut him off.

"Potter, what do you think you are doing?!" exclaimed Lily. "Twenty points from Gryffindor and a detention from me after classes!"

"Lily, you don't have the authority to give him a deten—"started Sirius.

"Don't presume to tell me what I can and cannot do, Black!" She turned her attention back to James. "I may not always have liked you, Potter, but I've at least had some semblance of respect for you. But after this...ignorant outburst of yours, I've lost what little respect I ever had." She lowered her voice, "If you have any reason to suspect a student of Hogwarts to be associated with he-who-must-not-be-named, you will bring your suspicions to Dumbledore privately. But I don't _ever _want to hear you accuse someone in front of their peers again." She paused. "I will see you at eight o'clock, Mr. Potter." She started walking away but turned back for one last biting comment. "You don't deserve the title of Head Boy." Then, she turned her back on him and walked out.

"Why'd you let her do that to you?!" exclaimed Sirius once she had left.

"Because she was right," James whispered, staring at the closed door.


	5. No Firewhiskey?

_Miss Effie's Incoherent Ramblings (aka Author's Notes)- Oh. My. Giddy. Aunt. You guys may not realize this, but I have had the worst bout of writer's block that I have ever had in my life. Then, we had two snow days and I started writing, and the words just flowed from my pen. It was so amazing. Actually, I already have most of the next chapter written as well. I. Love. Snow. Days. I am really, really sorry for not updating in so long, but believe me, it's bugged me just as much as you may have been bugged by it. Quick overview of the last chapter—Lily gives James detention for accusing Snape of being a Voldemort supporter in the Great Hall. Umm…yeah. Anyway, I'll let you read it. Real quick, though, keep your eyes out for a reference to one of my favorite musicals in this chapter. 10 points if you get it! (No cheating, Jerrygirl.) _

Chapter Five

"No Firewhiskey?"

James continued the rest of his day hardly talking to anyone other than Remus, Sirius and Peter. In classes he didn't raise his hand and avoided making eye contact. Mostly, it seemed to be his goal not to talk, see, touch or stand within a twenty foot radius of Lily Evans.

"You're not going to be able to avoid her forever, James," Sirius said as they walked to the common room.

"I know," James replied.

"She yells at you constantly, why does this time matter so much?" James tried to explain, but he couldn't. It was just something about the way she said it, the look in her eyes. It was serious this time.

"You had better get working on your homework, you don't know how long Lily will keep you," said Lupin, sensibly.

"Come on, Moony, this man doesn't want to go bury his nose in books! All Prongs needs right now is some firewhis—" Sirius stopped abruptly as James walked up the boys' dormitory stairs and closed the door behind him. "Oh…he must be going to…get it…" said Sirius. Lupin just shook his head and immersed himself in a book that had been thrown on the table earlier that day. Sirius waited for ten minutes before saying, "No firewhiskey?"

"Not tonight," Lupin said. "Not tonight." James had indeed gone up to his dormitory to work on his homework. Anything to forget what Lily had said to him earlier that day and the upcoming detention. Sirius grumbled and walked off, in search of some Hufflepuff to kiss. Remus continued reading.

Lily, unlike James, was not doing her homework. She had meant to, but she hadn't planned on meeting Gwen in the library. Gwen wasn't alone; she was studying with a dark haired boy. Lily thought she recognized him from Ravenclaw. Lily tried to walk past without disturbing them, but Gwen spotted her.

"Lily! D'you want to study with us?" asked Gwen, indicating a chair next to her. The boy looked up at Lily too.

"Um, I don't have to, it's all right," said Lily. She didn't know if Gwen had asked to be polite, even though she really wanted Lily to bugger off, or if Gwen really wanted Lily to sit down.

"Its fine, we're almost finished and then we can go somewhere and talk." Well, Gwen sounded sincere enough. The boy smiled at Lily.

"Since Gwen isn't going to remember to introduce us, I'll go ahead. I'm Paul Cooper, Ravenclaw, seventh year. I hardly need to ask your name. You're Lily Evans, the only student to ever give the revered James Potter a detention." Lily groaned.

"You heard?"

"It's all over. In fact, I think his Gryffindor fan club is already planning a "We Still Love You, James!" party after his detention." Lily could tell he was joking, and she smiled. It was comforting to know that other people thought worshipping James Potter was ridiculous. Gwen looked up from her book.

"Oh, Lily, this is Paul C—" she began.

"—onners, Ravenclaw, seventh year. We already introduced ourselves."

"Oh," replied Gwen, blushing slightly.

"So, when did you two meet?" asked Lily.

"Just about fifteen minutes ago," said Paul.

"We all actually have Herbology together," said Gwen, shutting her book. Paul and Lily talked about the Herbology lesson that day while Gwen finished her homework.

"Come on, let's get out of here, " said Gwen, after she had put the library books she had been using away. They decided to sit out on a grassy knoll in front of the Great Lake. It was a little chilly, but they didn't mind. The three of them chatted for a long time before realizing it was getting dark out. Gwen looked at her watch.

"Umm…Lily?" Lily stopped in the middle of her story and looked at Gwen. "What time did you give James detention?"

"Eight o'clock, why?" Gwen grimaced. "Gwen..." said Lily, realization dawning on her, "tell me what time it is." She grabbed Gwen's wrist frantically and looked at her wristwatch. It was eight twenty. "Oh no…" said Lily. She got up quickly and began running towards the castle, yelling, "It was nice to meet you, Paul!" behind her shoulder. She ran as fast as she could towards the Gryffindor common room. She yelled the password at the Fat Lady ("My word! They get ruder every year!") and burst through the portrait hole. Glancing around, she spied James, who was staring at her, much like everyone else in the common room.

"Mr. Potter," she said, trying to regain her dignity. "Please come with me. You will be serving your detention in the library." James got up, still staring at her. They walked out of the common room.

"I'm sorry, Potter, that I was late," said Lily. "I lost track of time. I was talking to Paul Conners," James' eyebrows shot up, "and Gwen," she finished, pointedly.

"I see," said James.

"So, I'm sorry."

"Yes, I heard." Lily looked at him. She was waiting for him to offer his forgiveness. He caught on. "It's fine. Just means a shorter detention for me."

"That depends," replied Lily, noncommittally. They walked a bit farther in uncomfortable silence. Then, James cleared his throat. Several times. Lily, sensing this was important, turned to him, almost annoyed, for some reason.

"I'm sorry, Lily," he said.

"For what?"

"For…disappointing you."

"Oh," said Lily. This wasn't like James! What was he up to? She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not knocking any time off your detention." James suddenly looked tired.

"That's not what I wanted. I just want you to…forgive me." It was James' turn to wait for Lily's forgiveness. Lily wasn't sure she wanted to give it to him. Would this mean she could no longer hate him? Would this change something between them? She didn't know if she wanted to take a step in that direction. Then again, it was very diplomatic of him to apologize. Obviously it took him a lot of courage. He had come off his high horse to humbly ask forgiveness. But was this just some flippant action of his? Would he deny it later? Use it against her? Even after her long inner monologue she hadn't made a decision. James had been watching her the whole time. He obviously had noticed some conflict in her bright green eyes so he added, "Please, Lily," very softly. Well, that did it.

"Of course, J-Potter," she said, not sure she was ready to use his first name, even though he had used hers. James smiled and it spread through his whole face.

"And I'm sorry for annoying you for the past six years," he said, heartened by one victory. "Forgive me?"

"Not quite yet, Potter," said Lily, not ready to completely let go of the Potter she was familiar with. James looked slightly put out by that remark, but one success was enough to lift his spirits considerably. They walked down to the library, again in silence, but it was different this time. When they finally reached the library, Lily assigned him his tasks, and sat down at a table to do her homework where she could keep an eye on him. Madam Paroo scolded James once for whistling, but other than that he was on his best behavior. He did the tasks assigned to him efficiently and didn't bother Lily. She did catch him staring at her from between the books occasionally, but she didn't reprimand him, although, she couldn't control the blushes that crept up on her cheeks every time she met his eyes during the course of the evening.

Looking up, she saw Madam Paroo hovering over her. "Excuse me, Miss Evans, but I have already kept the library open past hours. Do you think you could end your detention now? He has nothing else to do." Lily glanced over at James, who was sitting in a chair, flipping through a book.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Madam Paroo. Of course. Thank you so much for allowing me to bring Potter here for his detention."

"Anytime, Miss Evans," said Madam Paroo, and she walked away.

"Potter, your detention is finished. You may go now," said Lily, closing the books she had been using.

"We are both going to the same place, Miss Lily; may I wait and walk you up to the Head rooms?" he asked.

"It is possible for us to go to the same place, Potter, without you walking me there. I would prefer it if you stayed on one side of the hall, and I will stay on the other." James frowned. He had been almost positive that by Lily forgiving him for the incident with Snape, they were friends. "Just because I forgave you for one wrong doing, Potter, doesn't mean anything is any different."

"Oh," replied James. "Right. So I can go back to annoying you?" Lily sighed.

"If you have to," she said.

"It's only fair," he replied. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Good night, James," she said, strolling out of the library. James stood in complete shock. She must not have noticed that she called him 'James.' He grinned. She may have said nothing had changed, but James knew that somehow it wasn't the same. It was the first step, however little it was. He bolted out of the library. He was going to make a quick stop at the Gryffindor boys' dorms.

_A/N: And now I will thank my reviewers. _

_MaD-4-u: Hehe. Two chappies a day, eh? Mmm, the day that happens is the day that hell freezes over, just to be extremely cliché. But thanks anyway. Keep reading!_

_Allie: Yeah, it is an up and down relationship. Not too up and down, I hope. I was afraid that I was making it too extreme…I hope you don't think so. _

_verylonely: Thank you so, so much. Your reviews are greatly appreciated. _

_JerryGirl: I really cannot think of anything to say to you. Haha! _

_TheFlyingMoose: Mmm…snickers…_

_tennisaddict: Mmm, I dunno. Dan is all right, I suppose. - AND "OH SNAP" IS NOT YOUR SAYING, AND IT DID NOT COME FROM THE CHAPELLE SHOW! So…THERE! Thanks for your review. Sorry I didn't let you beta this one, but I figured I should give Allie a chance, since she was complaining about it last time._

_The all Mighty and powerfulM: Ooo, my story was worth an "awesomeness"?! That is high, high praise. Thank you so much!_

_Aseretasylum: This is so wonderful, getting a review from you. I love your writing so much. I really, really appreciate it. I'll try to tap out a few more words for you, and a lot faster than last time. ::sheepish grin::_

_Scallywag: Ahh! A coronary? Umm…well…I'm not liable. ::quickly walks away:: _

_Lyss: Finally, holy crap. I'm glad to see I'm at the top of your priority list. Hehe, just kidding. Thanks for reviewing. _

_Please, keep the reviews coming! Seeing as how I have most of the next chapter done (let's hope writer's block is gone!) I will update once I get…another ten reviews, since that's what I got last time. So if you want me to update, review! Please be kind, rewind! Err…review! (But also rewind). _


	6. Why?

_A/N: Well, I thought that I'd update when I got ten reviews, but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen. But, eight reviews is pretty damn close! Thank you guys so much. I have quite a lot of reviews, actually. :squishy feeling: Anyway, I'd just like to thank Alyssa and Tara for beta-ing this chapter for me. I must admit, I was a little lazy and didn't put in all their wonderful corrections, so if there is a major grammatical error, blame me. I don't know who else you would blame…whatever. Also, the musical reference that no one got (even you, Tara, who I TOLD what it was) was the name of the librarian. Madam Paroo…Marian Paroo…The Music Man…yeah. _

_ Enjoy the chapter. By the way, happy belated birthday to Alan Rickman, the essence of British-ness. :drools:_

Chapter Six

"Why?"

"Hello, Lily," said James as he passed Lily in the Great Hall. He smiled genuinely at her and continued towards his usual spot at the Gryffindor table.

"What's this?" asked Gwen. Lily had not yet told her about the apology she had received the night before. "No 'Lily love'? He's not even going to ask you to Hogsmeade? What happened?" Lily shrugged slightly. She didn't really want to tell Gwen everything over breakfast. There were a lot of eavesdroppers. Lily needed to change the subject.

"What about Paul? What happened after I left you two yesterday?"

"Well, he told me we should probably get back to our common rooms since it was so late, so, I went to mine and he went to his. Was something supposed to happen?" asked Gwen, naively. Sometimes Lily was surprised at Gwen. For all her reading, she knew very little about boys.

"Never mind," sighed Lily as they sat down. As she grabbed a piece of toast, Gwen said, "You can't distract me that easily, Lils."

_She may not know much about boys, _thought Lily, _but she has a memory like an elephant. _

"Nothing really exciting happened, but I can tell you about it later," replied Lily. Gwen nodded.

"All right. And don't try to get out of it. _Something _important must have happened. 'Least James thought it was important." Several girls sitting near Gwen and Lily looked up from their plates. Lily glared at Gwen. "…that Gryffindor wins the House Cup," added Gwen, clumsily trying to cover up her mistake.

"Hey, Gwen, Lils, why are you talking about ol' Jamsie here?" yelled Sirius from nearly the other end of the table. How in the world had he heard their conversation? Lily blushed and glared at Gwen again.

"Oh, you know," Gwen yelled back. "Just the usual—Lily complaining about his bigheadedness!" Lily glanced over at James. After he heard Gwen's explanation, his face tensed, and he looked determinedly at his plate. Lily tried to read his face, but she couldn't. Lily leaned over the table and hit Gwen on the arm.

"What!" yelped Gwen, rubbing her arm. "I was saving you!" Lily didn't know why, but she was suddenly filled with feelings of guilt. She tried hard to suppress these ridiculous feelings. "Well, if you're going to be an arse, I'll just read," said Gwen, as she pulled out a book and propped it up on the sugar bowl. Lily didn't know how Gwen always managed to have a new book on her person but right now, that was the least of her worries. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like she had betrayed James.

_But, _she pointed out to herself; _I told him everything was going to the same! I didn't make any promises to him. One apology is not enough to redeem him of all his screw-ups. So, I don't owe him anything! _she convinced herself. Still, Lily wanted to know what James was thinking. Gwen was in a different world, so Lily got up from the table. She would act like she just wanted to chat with Remus, but she'd also watch James closely.

"Come over to apologize, Evans?" asked Sirius as he saw her approaching.

"Oh, why don't you go snog someone?" snapped Lily, lamely.

"Ooo, good one," retorted Sirius, sarcastically. James hadn't met Lily's eyes yet.

"I came over here to talk with Remus, Black, not to fight with you."

"Well, sit down, Lily," said Remus. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Why d'you always have to be the gentleman, Moony?" Sirius complained, as he turned to talk to James.

"Actually," said Lily, seeing she wasn't going to figure anything out about James here, "I was wondering if you could walk me up to the common room to get our books before classes start. That is, if you want to." James had looked at Lily when she had asked Remus to walk with her. Lily thought she could see some anger in his face. She couldn't resist making him mad.

"Of course, Lily. Anything for my favorite ex," Remus said, smiling and getting up from the table.

"Oh, gag me. Please, leave before I vomit all over," said Sirius. Lily and Remus ignored him.

"See you guys in class," said Remus. Peter, who had been occupied with his breakfast before, looked up. Sirius and James pretended like they didn't care whether Lily and Remus left or not.

"'Bye, Moony," he said, his cheeks stuffed with food. Lupin nodded and Lily and he walked out.

"What is wrong with James today?" asked Lily, getting straight to the point. Noting Remus' surprise, she added, "Not that I really care, I'm just curious."

"Well, if you don't really care, why should I waste my breath?" teased Remus.

"See, that is exactly why I dumped you, insufferable know-it-all."

"You forget, 'twas I that did the dumping…and for obvious reasons," he said, winking. Actually the reason he had dumped her was much more complicated then that. He was in his third year, Lily was his first serious girlfriend, and besides Sirius, James and Peter he hadn't let anyone else get close to him, and he was scared. Lily had begun to get curious, and it was hard to make up excuses for his regular sickness. Lily was smart and he figured it was only a matter of time before she figured it out.

For some reason, Remus thought it would be different for someone that was romantically attached to him to find out he was a werewolf. Lily thought he was caring, sweet and loving. He hadn't wanted her to know that once a month he became a beast, capable of killing those people who were the closest to him. He had also been more afraid that Lily would have wanted to become an illegal Animagi too, and he couldn't let her take that risk. He still felt guilty for not trusting her but hat was that. He often wondered, when he was particularly lonely, what it would have been like was he not a werewolf. Would he and Lily still be dating? Maybe he had passed up his one chance at true love. But he was sensible. He wouldn't indulge in silly fantasies that could never be. He was destined to be alone.

"…and then you carried me up to the common room, do you remember that?" Remus looked at her, totally clueless. "You weren't listening to a thing I just said, were you?" Remus shook his head. "You great prat," she said, grinning. He grinned back.

"No, but, really, Remmy, what is wrong with James today?" Remus was surprised that she was so persistent with that question.

"Do you know how many times James has apologized to a non-Marauder student and really meant it?" asked Remus, answering her question with one of his own.

"Umm…" said Lily, lost for a response to this seemingly random question.

"Once, to my knowledge."

"Once?" repeated Lily, disbelievingly.

"Once."

"When?"

"Last night," answered Remus. Lily stared at him.

"He told you?" Remus laughed.

"Come on, Lils. Of course he did."

"I haven't told Gwen yet. That's what we were talking about at breakfast," explained Lily.

"Oh, not about James' bigheadedness?" Remus said, and Lily blushed.

"No. Gwen was trying to cover up for me. Why was James so…different? Nothing changed. I accepted his apology and that's it!" Lily said, raising her voice. Remus sighed and shook his head.

"You don't know James very well, do you? You've been…well, mean to him as long as he's liked you. Finally, you say a few civil things to him, true, maybe he over interpreted them and he got his hopes up. Then, the next day, you're back to normal and he gets his hopes dashed on the rocks. Do you see?"

"A little bit better."

"I think it was more what was unsaid last night, then what was said, that had an affect on him." They walked a little farther in silence, Lily thinking about what Remus had said.

"One thing you'll learn, Lily, is that James is a very passionate individual. You can't take everything he does too seriously," said Remus. Lily nodded.

"I was just wondering," she said, feeling the need to explain herself.

"Of course," added Remus, smiling slightly. They retrieved their book bags and walked to their first class—Charms.

"Did you have a good chat?" asked Sirius when Remus left Lily and sat by his friends. Remus didn't respond right away, but instead looked at James who was still gloomy. He decided to cheer his old friend up. He just hoped Lily wouldn't kill him.

"Yeah, she just wanted to know why James was so glum," answered Remus, finally. Immediately there was a decided change in James' face. He grinned and his eyes began to twinkle again, but he didn't say a word. He just looked at Lily (who was laughing because of something Gwen had said). When her eyes met his he grinned, winked and turned away, leaving Lily extremely confused. Remus laughed. He had figured that James would read into that simple statement.

"Ah, but it seems she shouldn't have worried," observed Remus. James opened his mouth to reply, but Professor Flitwick had mounted his stack of books and was coughing loudly. Remus sat down and class began.

Through the day, Remus became more unsure of his decision to tell James about his and Lily's conversation. Remus watched in horror as James slipped back into his old arrogant mannerisms. He asked Lily out a record fifteen times (beating his old one by five) through the course of the day. But this was nothing compared to the incident in Herbology. Lily and Gwen were paired up, and because they were both reasonably good at Herbology, they finished their assignment in class with time to spare. Paul and his partner had also finished early, and all four of them were engaged in a lively conversation next to one very jealous James and his partner, Sirius. Paul and Lily were growing more…friendly by the minute, in James' opinion. His jealousy soon got the better of him.

"Hey, Paul! D'you think you could stop flirting with my girl?" he yelled. Paul (and most everyone in the greenhouse) looked confused. Paul turned to Lily, whose face was bright red. She muttered incoherently for a minute.

"Potter!" she finally managed to say. This was it. She had had it with James Potter's arrogant attitude. She had known his manner the night before wouldn't last long. But Lily would not let her temper get the better of her this time. Oh no. She would carefully plot something far more damaging for James later. She counted to ten, then turned to Paul.

"I'm sorry about that," she said to him. "I am not and never will be his 'girl' and the fact that he still indulges in these…fantasies is quite pathetic." Then, class was dismissed, and Lily walked out with Paul, without saying a single word to James. James was, to say the least, very surprised. He had expected her to lecture him until she was blue. This left him slightly suspicious, but he soon shook off this feeling. It was replaced by one of disappointment, sadness and anger. James tried to shake those off as well, but they lingered. Still, he managed to keep a grin (only slightly less enthusiastic) on his face as he walked out of the greenhouse. He continued to be his old annoying self, if not a little halfheartedly, for the rest of the day, and Lily chose to tactfully ignore him.

"Well, James, you did it," said Sirius as the day was winding down. Lily had just stomped out of the common room after having been asked out for the fifteenth time by James. "You managed to be more annoying to Evans than ever before." Remus, who had been quiet the whole day, had to lecture him.

"Why did you do it, James? Why?" Remus asked, disappointedly. "You had no idea how good you were doing…and then, this." James looked angry. Peter, who was sitting in an armchair, frowned. He could sense an argument coming on.

"Look, I tried, and she still called me a 'bigheaded prat.' So what is the point of even trying anymore!"

"James, it's going to take more than one night to convince her you've changed! Do you think that she really believed that you were different? One night, James, _one _night. I'd say you'd have to change for a little longer than that."

"Ugh! Why do _I_ have to change?"

"Because," said Sirius, "_you _love her. You have to change in order to make her realize the feelings she really has for you." Both Remus and James looked at Sirius, who was nonchalantly sprawled out on the couch. He had said something sensible. James was quiet for a moment and then sighed.

"You guys are right, as always. But, could you three please help me? Obviously, I can't last a day on my own. You have to tell me when I'm doing good and when I've screwed up." The three boys nodded.

"I'll help you, James," said Peter, loyally. James smiled at him. Sirius, sensing things were going to get a little too lovey for his taste, decided to change the subject.

"So, next prank?" he asked, sitting up.

"I'm sorry, but I won't be able to participate in any pranks. I have to show Lily how mature I am, and losing my title as Head Boy would not be a good indicator. In fact, since I have to be alert in my classes tomorrow, I'm going to go to sleep," said James, overplaying the goody-two-shoes look. But, he was serious. He walked up to bed after telling them good night.

"Why does he have to change?" moaned Sirius. "Why?"

_A/N: _

_The Flying Moose: You should feel jealous. After all, I am smarter, wittier, more beautiful and cooler than you. JUST KIDDING! Love you, babe. _

_fluffy puff marshmallow: "I'm a trendy totebag!" Hehe, I love Homestar Runner! Rock on, and keep reviewing! _

_Travelledtheworldandthe7seas: Have you really? Traveled the world AND the seven seas? Are you a pirate? Thanks for reviewing, I really appreciate your compliments. I was a little worried about bringing Gwen in, and I hope that you don't mind Paul either. _

_Aseret789: Thanks for the constructive criticism. I have a tendency to do that weird dialogue mixing thing, just because it makes sense in my head, 'cos I'm writing it. I hope I'm doing better…I've been watching out for it. _

_Bonny: Thanks for your review. I wish the chapters were longer too…damn brain!_

_AngelinaWeasley1: Me post more. You like? _

_JerryGirl: You idiot. I told you what it was. Hehe…"That's cool." _

_Stuck In Wonderland: I like your penname. Keep reviewing, I really appreciate your comments! _

_Well, adios! I don't have the next chapter written, so it could be awhile. I'm in a play, and I have a couple other clubs and what not, so…I dunno. Just stick with me, okay? I don't have any witty review slogan for you. - I feel stupid and incompetent. :puppy dog look: Wevoo? (That was in baby voice, if you couldn't tell. I was trying to be adorable.) _


	7. Not My Lily

_A/N: Thank you all for sticking with this story, even though I take a million years to update. I hope it's worth the wait! I think I got this one up here a little quicker than usual, eh? I would like to say Happy Mothers' Day to all those mothers out there, and this chappie is dedicated to my dear mum, whose love for literacy and books was passed on to me. Thanks, mum! And thanks to Jerrygirl for beta-ing._

_Disclaimer: Me not JKR. Me not own anything._

Chapter Seven

Not My Lily

Lily immediately began plotting her revenge on James. She spent even more time in the library, which in turn meant that James spent more time there too. James desecrating Lily's haven fueled Lily's anger and helped her forget about the tiny twinges of guilt she felt in regard to James. Gwen was happy to be whisked off to the library between classes and meals.

James was a little concerned about Lily. He didn't think it could be good for one to spend that much time sticking ones nose in the dusty books of the library. He thought she was overworking herself (she always did care too much for schoolwork) so he followed her relentlessly—offering her food and exciting diversions, but she held strong. Often she burst out laughing at the irony of it all. James was checking on her, taking care of her, while she was trying to figure out ways to humiliate him beyond anything he'd ever been subject to before. James thought this spontaneous giggling was another sign of Lily overburdening herself, and persisted in his nursing with growing gusto.

"Gwen, after supper we're—" said Lily, as the pair sat down to begin their evening meal in the Great Hall.

"No, let me guess. After supper we're going to the library," Gwen finished.

"Gwen, this has to be the perfect prank. I want James to—"

"Snog you senseless?" It seemed that Sirius had snuck up behind them. Lily mentally kicked herself for discussing her top secret plans in the Great Hall. Sirius grinned at them and squeezed in between the two girls. Both Gwen and Lily looked disgusted.

"Ugh, Black, put enough cologne on?" Gwen held her nose to signal agreement with Lily's complaint.

"D'you like it? I'm trying to get Melodee Adams from Hufflepuff to notice me, but it's proving harder than I thought…" Sirius glanced at the Hufflepuff table at a beautiful brunette who was obviously trying very hard not to notice Sirius.

"Oh, she will, eventually, and then she'll enjoy a wonderful two weeks with you, then hate you after you break her heart for some other 'hard-to-get' girl," replied Gwen. Gwen was growing more comfortable with her classmates, and Lily was happy for her.

"I will not!" protested Sirius. Lily and Gwen looked at him disbelievingly. "Two weeks? Are you crazy! A girl has never made it that long with me." The looks of disbelief turned into ones of utter loathing. "So, what do you want to do to James? Besides snog him senseless, of course," Sirius asked.

"Just the usual, you know," replied Gwen, quickly.

"Umm…no, I don't know," replied Sirius, being obtuse.

"You don't know much, do you?" snapped Lily, annoyed by his persistence in finding out her top secret plan.

"Ooo…Lily's miffed!" exclaimed Sirius.

"I am not, I'm just tired of you and your nosiness!" she replied, raising her voice. Lily couldn't help getting angry at Sirius—something about him just got on her nerves.

"Well, I am very sorry. I'll just schedule a time for you and James to go at it, then. Are Mondays good for you?

"Black!" yelled Lily, swatting him away violently.

"No need to thank me!" he said as he jumped up from his seat and began to saunter towards his friends. After he left, Lily began to calm down.

"I cannot stand him! How can Remmy be his friend?" fumed Lily.

"Obviously, he sees something in him that we can't see," replied Gwen, perceptively.

"I suppose," sighed Lily, dropping the subject. They finished up their meal and headed to the library. Before they left the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall stopped Lily.

"We will be having our first Prefects meeting tonight at eight o'clock. As Head, arrive a little early." Lily nodded, and turned. "Oh, and Miss Evans?" added Professor McGonagall. "Make sure that Mr. Potter comes too." Lily sighed.

"Yes, professor," she agreed dutifully. It would mean conversing with James, but as it was Head business, she couldn't complain. Gwen and Lily continued to the library, where they quickly sat down in their regular spot. James (with Sirius, Remus and Peter being dragged along) quickly followed and settled down in their regular spot that just happened to be directly across from where Gwen and Lily were seated. James picked up a book to make him appear to be studious while he observed Lily, and Sirius made eyes at Melodee (who just happened to be in the library as well). Remus helped Peter with his Charms homework a few tables away from Sirius and James, knowing that they would prove too much of a distraction for Peter.

"James?" said Sirius, tapping James on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" mumbled James, having been interrupted from a dream where Lily, wearing a flimsy white shirt, had fallen into the Great Lake, and James had to save her from the evil squid.

"I'm going to…go," Sirius said. James looked up.

"Hey, would you look at that…Melodee's gone…funny," James replied, grinning.

"That's interesting." Sirius grinned back. "See you…sometime." Sirius promptly left. James laughed as he watched Sirius hurriedly exit the library. He didn't notice Lily standing in front of him, tapping her foot, until…

"Lily!" he exclaimed, turning around in his chair to face her.

"Potter."

He winced at the cold surname. Using 'James' hadn't lasted very long. He had really thought that Lily and he had something there. Oh, no, that couldn't last. If he was better at containing his arrogance…he never thought before he spoke. That part always came afterwards. Something about Lily made him fall over himself to sound interesting, but interesting usually turned into cocky. James knew that if Lily knew him, the real him, she would at least respect him. That became his new, more attainable goal—to gain Lily's respect. That would be enough.

It wasn't entirely his fault—Lily's dislike for him, that is. She didn't try very hard to like him. What ever happened to forgiving and giving people second chances? James easily forgave her for the time that…err…_times_ that she had ridiculed him, humiliated him and taunted him in front of his peers. The many times she looked at him with utter disgust, the times she falsely accused him of being the cause of numerous problems around the school, the times she had broken his heart, and then all the times that she had given him a small sign that made him hope again, just to be disappointed. What about all of those times?

"Potter? Potter, were you even listening to me?"

_Damn…_ James quickly racked his mind for ways to get out of this unfortunate predicament. Let's see here….why would Lily be talking to him? He hadn't pulled any pranks recently…in fact…he hadn't pulled any pranks this whole year! He'd have to get on to that. Oh, no, wait, he had to impress Lily. No more pranks. Then, he thought of it…the one other thing that Lily would talk to him about.

"Yes, I was listening to you…Head business, right?" James smiled sweetly.

"Err," said Lily, caught off guard. "Yeah, there is a Prefect meeting tonight at eight, but we have to be there a little early because we're Heads and all."

"Of course! How early are you going to go?"

"About a half an hour early, that should be enough time to organize the meeting. I've already started thinking about some of the things I'll comment on, and besides, this is basically going to be run by Professor McGonagall."

"Seven thirty it is, then," replied James.

"Do you want to meet in the common room beforehand?" Lily said without thinking. Then, immediately she began to blush.

"Why?" asked James, genuinely curious.

"Well, it was silly, really, but I thought maybe…we could walk down together. You know, so we can discuss Head business on the way down," she quickly added.

"Err…right," replied James. "Sure."

"Okay, bye!" she said, and quickly rushed back to Gwen's side, still blushing. What had she been thinking? She hated James! He was the same, ignorant prat as he always was…why in the name of Merlin had she asked him to walk down to the meeting with her? This would give him wrong ideas! She didn't like him! Where had that idea even come from? She was going to prank him, not befriend him. She shook her head—she would have to be extremely cold and distant at the meeting in order to make up for this disgusting display of...of…pleasantness towards James.

James, at his own table, was equally puzzled and a little bit angry. Why had she asked him to walk down with her? That was something _he_ was supposed to ask her, and then she would snap back and say no. She didn't like him...she had made that even clearer during the past few days with her constant library study. Plus, from what James could gather from parallel reading, she was studying books like, _101 Ways to Trick an Enemy _and _Pranking for Dummies_, which ultimately meant something extremely unpleasant for him in the future.

Then, as he thought about it more, he got a little upset. The only explanation he could think of was that she enjoyed toying with him! Did she view his affection as some cat and mouse game she would indulge herself in at her whim? Did she enjoy raising his hopes only to dash them on the rocks the next day? Did she really hate him so much that she wanted to make him falsely believe that she loved him in order to hurt him more than he had ever been hurt before? Because out of all the pranks that he had ever heard of, that would definitely be the most painful for him. Worse than falling off a broom, worse than being kicked by a Hippogriff, because unlike all those things, a broken heart was something the school nurse couldn't fix. He glanced over at Lily, who was reading her book, face still slightly flushed. He couldn't believe it. Although Lily didn't like him, she wasn't cruel. She wouldn't do that to anyone, even someone that she hated as much as him. She had to be aware of the gravity of that trick. She had to…he couldn't believe less of his Lily.

_No, _James reminded himself as he watched Paul sit down in between Lily and Gwen. _Not **my** Lily. _

Lily looked up at Paul as he scooted himself in between the two girls. She smiled at him, and then glanced over to Gwen, who was still reading her book.

"Gwen!" Lily whispered as loudly as she could without incurring the wrath of Madam Paroo. Gwen didn't respond for several seconds, and then looked up, surprised to see Paul instead of Lily sitting next to her.

"Oh, hello, Paul!" Gwen said, cheerfully.

"Hello, girls. I was just wondering if I could do my Herbology homework with you two…I am completely lost in this section." It seemed as though Paul had a permanent smile.

"Well, actually," said Lily, "I was just going to head up to my room. But Gwen can certainly help you…she is brilliant at Herbology." Paul nodded and grinned. Lily smiled in return, picked up her books and quickly left the library. She would talk to Gwen about James later; hopefully, because that was something she was extremely confused about. Gwen had such a sensible head on her shoulders, and Lily could tell her everything. Lily was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't even notice that a certain bespectacled boy was calling her name. Finally, James caught up to her.

"Lily," he said, his breathing a little heavy. "I need to talk to you." Lily looked at him. She noticed the serious look in his eyes and figured this was something she needed to treat with importance.

"All right, Potter, but can it wait until we're up in the Head rooms? My arms are about to fall off from these books, and I don't think that would make for a very pleasant conversation." James smiled a little and nodded his head.

"Do you want any help carrying them?" he asked.

"No, no, I can manage," said Lily. She didn't need anyone's help, especially James'…err…Potter's. They walked up to the Head rooms in silence, until James said the password and Sir Cadogen's portrait (Sir Cadogen himself was soundly sleeping as a result of too much whisky the night before) swung open and let them in. Lily immediately went into her room and set down all the books before going back into the main room to talk to James. He was sitting down, and his lips were moving as if he was going through an already memorized speech.

"Well?" prompted Lily. He paused for a moment, obviously choosing his words very carefully.

"Why did you ask me to walk with you to the meeting?" Lily flushed slightly, again, and sighed. Why did he have to bring that up? "I don't want to know just to get my ego stroked, or anything, I'm just genuinely confused on why you would do that to me."

"Do what to you?" asked Lily, her turn to be genuinely confused.

"You know…" said James, fumbling slightly. "Toying with my emotions like that." Lily immediately understood. He thought that she was trying to be coy or something to that effect. Lily almost gagged.

"I didn't mean to. I don't know why I asked, it was silly, and I wish I hadn't," she replied, instantly regretting her harsh tone.

"Oh, right, of course," said James. There she went again, dashing his hopes on the rocks!

"Is that it?" asked Lily.

_No! _James wanted to scream. _No, that's not it! You had to have some reason to ask me, what was it? What do you even feel for me, Lily? It changes every second! I don't even know where I stand with you anymore!_

"Yeah, that's it," said James, shrugging his shoulders. Lily looked at him, almost to let him give more of an explanation, or maybe ask another question, but he it seemed as though that was really it.

"Okay." Lily turned around and walked into her room, shutting the door behind her. What was that all about? She needed Gwen! She flopped onto her bed, planning on taking a small nap before the meeting. She had been asleep for about ten minutes before she heard a knocking on her door.

"Who is it?" she asked, sleepily.

"Gwen," the voice from behind the door replied. Lily immediately perked up.

"Good! Come in, please," she answered back. The door opened, and Gwen walked in. "I have so much I need to talk to you about!"

"Well, first, let me tell you something exciting. Well, in the library, Paul asked me to Hogsmeade. Isn't that wonderful?" Gwen giggled, just like a little girl.

"That is wonderful!" squealed Lily, happy that her friend was experiencing romance outside of books. "He is a really sweet guy, Gwen, you'll have fun." Gwen grinned.

"I know, I'm happy. I didn't even see that coming, isn't that crazy? Oh, I feel so cliché and glad all at once!" Lily was sure that all the seventh years would be surprised to see Gwen in this state…it was side of Gwen that usually only Lily saw and only in private. Well, actually, she had never seen Gwen _exactly_ like this before…so giggly and girly. It was interesting, and Lily liked it. She needed a little relief from her straight-laced demeanor, and she was sure Gwen felt the same. "Now, what do you need to talk to me about?" asked Gwen, changing slightly from her carefree, happy attitude to a more caring, serious one, although she still had a big grin on her face and a twinkle in her eye.

"Well, it's about James," sighed Lily. "I don't want you to get the wrong impression--I don't_ like_ James or anything…"

"Oh good, I'm glad we're talking about something different today," laughed Gwen. Lily threw a pillow at her. A lot of their talks ended up with Lily ranting about James and his irksome qualities.

"No, I'm serious this time, it's different. I'm not just going to complain about him like I usually do. It's just…you know that meeting tonight? Well, I told him about it, and then I asked him if he wanted to walk down with me! And then just awhile ago, we had a pretty decent conversation." Gwen pretended to faint. "Gwen, stop kidding around, this is serious!"

"I'm sorry, Lily, it's just that you're so funny sometimes! I think what you have to understand is the fact that James isn't all bad or all good. He has some annoying traits about him, sure, but when he tries hard enough, and you don't push him away, you guys can actually get along. You're so obsessed with loathing him that you won't let him change your mind!"

"I will never go out with James, Gwen."

"I know, but I wasn't referring to that, I was just talking about plain getting along! You probably asked him to walk down with you because secretly you enjoy talking to him. I don't know why you spend so much of your energy hating him when it would probably be a lot easier to like him. Do you even really care about pranking him anymore?" Lily thought for a moment.

"Actually, after the first couple days I haven't been feeling very passionate about it," said Lily.

"You just did it because it was routine, or you had decided you were going to do it and you are just too stubborn. But, Lily, you aren't really the kind of person to hate someone, even though you try so hard with James. You have a cheerful and easy disposition, usually, and even though you have your redheaded temper moments, you really like other people and can generally find the good in them. I don't know why it's so different with James. Are you sure it isn't just like the pranking thing…he did something to you long ago, when you first met, that made you not so jovial towards him, but now you keep hating him just because…well, because it's what you've always been doing, and you're too stubborn to change?" Lily inhaled deeply. That was a lot of things to take in all at once.

"I don't really know what to say," replied Lily.

"That's okay," said Gwen. "I kind of gave you a lot at once, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did, but that's good. I think that answered my questions. But if you think that James and I are going to be friends, you're in for a big surprise! He may have some good qualities, although I can't really think of them at the moment, but his arrogance and insecurity definitely outweighs them!" Gwen laughed at her friend, who was already slipping back into her old routine.

"I'm not telling you that you and James should be best friends, I just think you should give him more of a chance. At least give him your respect, Lily."

"Right," replied Lily. "I'll…think about that."

"And if you do ever ditch me for James, I will hex you into the next century!"

"I won't…I promise." Lily reached over and gave her friend a big hug. "Thanks, Gwen. I'll have a lot to think about tonight, I can tell you that much!"

"Glad to be of service, m'lady," Gwen replied. Then, the conversation changed to less serious topics, such as the next Hogsmeade visit and what in the world Gwen was going to wear. While they were talking, Lily kept everything Gwen had shared with her in the back of her head. She would think about it when she was alone, and try to be more civil to James tonight.

As Lily thought on it, she was amazed about how drastically her goals had changed in the past day. She had moved from wanting to inflict upon James the worst humiliation he had ever experienced to trying to give him a chance. What would happen now?

_A/N2: Well, that was a longer chapter than usual, right? I thought so. I hope you guys liked it. Please, when you review (see, leaving no if there) comment on how you think I did on the monologue type things of James and Lily. Did I get their feelings right? Also, did Gwen change too quickly from a quiet bookworm to a giggly girl? I tried to make it believable!_

_A big thank you to:_

_Lapair: Okay, if I was making a list of my all-time favorite reviews, your review would be numba one. Thank you so much. I hope one day that I will write a novel, and then I'll totally thank you. _

_Littleone: Wait, are you the same littleone that used to frequent the BILB MB? If not, I'm sorry that I'm crazy. Thank you so much for your review, it was wonderful. If so, hello!_

_Jerrygirl: No, basically I'm just friends with you so I can feel better about myself. Deal with it. Thanks for your review, and also for beta-ing my chappie. Is the ending a little less cliché?_

_Not that important: Your wish is my command. _

_The Flying Moose::glares: And you're always RIGHT! Review faster! Faster!_

_Herm the bookworm: Tee-hee, I adore your name. Hope you enjoy the update!_

_Travelledtheworldandthe7seas: Holy crap your name is long. Anyway, I'm glad you like my characters…I'm always a bit wary about bringing in new characters because many times they seem weak, so thank you for reassuring me! Paul is named after Paul McCartney, actually. Not that he was my favorite Beatle, or anything, 'cos Ringo totally was, but I like the name Paul. I don't really know if you wanted to know that but too late now. _

_Please, if you want to be cool like the rest of these people, REVIEW! And if you are already cool, you need to maintain the coolness by reviewing! _


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